Be straight with me: Is Morrissey okay? Like, is there some method to his madness? Is he just having a laugh here? Is he getting back at us for repeatedly inquiring about the possibility of a Smiths reunion even though he’s made it perfectly clear that’s not happening? Because I’m starting to wonder about the frequency and content of his cultural contributions these days! Claire thinks he should do a song with Kanye, and frankly, that may be the only thing that even makes sense at this point. What now, you ask? More like, what not now. But more specifically: The Hollywood Reporter has published an interview with Moz, which included the following exchange:

The Hollywood Reporter: Why do you think Staples agreed to go vegetarian for you and not Paul McCartney?

Morrissey: I was amused to hear that Sir Paul McCartload was very angry that Staples had said yes to me but no to him, when really, he should be happy for any victory on behalf of the animals. I know he works tirelessly for the People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals [PETA], but he also loves the British royals, whose treatment of animals is abysmal. The Queen herself wears enough fur to blanket most of Russia. He also once sang “Give Ireland back to the Irish,” which was directed at the Queen. Well, she refused, and she still refuses, yet Sir Paul gives her the thumbs up! If he cared passionately about animals, he’d return his knighthood. He doesn’t need the Queen’s approval. He’s given more pleasure to people worldwide than she could ever dream of.

I mean, that’s a bit of a rant! Especially considering Macca is basically on Morrissey’s side in the animal-rights department, which is what all this is about, is it not? I dunno. I don’t really understand how the monarchy works. But that’s not even the point! The point is this: The question asked was, Why do you think Staples agreed to go vegetarian for you and not Paul McCartney? Which, (A) Morrissey never even sort of answered or in fact addressed that question; (B) when did it come out the McCartney was “very angry” about the Staples Center’s agreement to go vegetarian for Morrissey?; and (C) when did the Staples Center agree to go vegetarian for Morrissey? (And I don’t even like McCartney!) I guess the question was inherently flawed because it was based on some bad intel but still. Yeesh.

Moz is perhaps redeemed somewhat by his answer to the interviewer’s closing question, “Is there anything else you think the readers of The Hollywood Reporter should know?”

Morrissey: I’d like people to be aware of the pangs of childbirth, and that every male is not necessarily a man. But perhaps these are topics for another time.

That’s debatable (although it’s a debate I won’t partake in!), but I absolutely do like his music, both with and post-Beatles. He just seems a little smarmy to me sometimes. I wasn’t trying to denigrate his music, honestly, just stressing that my dubious reaction comes as a result of what Morrissey is saying, not the person he’s saying it about.

Dude just needs a reputable label to put out his new album. That’s my personal feeling. He’s been circling around the late night and touring circuit for the past two years with new material, but no one has signed him. I think this is just his way of hoping all of this publicity will drum up interest from labels to show them that people are interested in what he’s saying, so therefore he’s marketable (even though he’s burning bridges left and right in the industry this past week…)

The next Morrissey story I see better be “Stereogum Editors Vow to Never Mention Morrissey Again Unless He Actually Does Something of Merit” or I’m just done with this place. But hey, gotta sell them adspaces.

Except Tebow was just doing his job and people decided to pay attention (for reasons that are still beyond me as there was, and is, certainly more important things to focus on). Morrissey, on the other hand, keeps going out of his way to hate on pretty much everything any time he’s given the opportunity to be quoted. I actually think he has some valid points, but he makes it REALLY HARD to care when he just seems so bitter and hateful all the time.

I understand the necessity to phrase headlines to grab attention, but I don’t really feel like he “rips McCartney” here. He says he’s given the world a lot of happiness, and he acknowledges his PETA thing and his vegetarianism.

There’s a little bit of an attack being made, though, which I can only say seems kind of pointless, going after someone not for what they do but for doing it less militantly than Morrissey himself does.

And basically fuck anyone who attacks a guy who got a weird track like Uncle Albert/Admiral Halsey to #1.

“I’d like people to be aware of the pangs of childbirth, and that every male is not necessarily a man. But perhaps these are topics for another time.” ‘Gum you left out the rest of the quote, “And just generally that I’m more enlightened and committed to my beliefs than posers like “sir” Paul, but, you know, another time another place perhaps. Cheerio!”

Every time I try to really dig this guy as something more than “the dude who used to sing for The Smiths” he gets all assholeish again. He makes it very difficult to care about his complaints when there are so damn many of them.

and seriously, ban this idiot ( filthydubber) He’s a stupid troll, yes, but its the type of trolling where misogyny, homophobia and things of that sort cross over into just plain pathetic attention whoredom, as well as being offensive in principle, even though this idot’s intentions is to provoke downvotes. Corky Anderson at the very least was just annoying, not degrading for attention’s sake, like this poor mans rubberjohnny knockoff.

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